Grinding brakes almost always mean the pads have worn down to their metal backing plates, which are now cutting into the rotors. It is the most urgent brake sound: every mile adds rotor damage and stopping distance grows. Budget for pads and rotors, and get the car in within days, not weeks.
Typical repair: pads + rotors $400–$700 per axle in Seattle, WA; if calipers were damaged by heat, add $150–$350 per caliper.
Immediately. Grinding is the one brake symptom that should not wait for a convenient day.
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